ABSTRACT

Survey research accounts for a large portion of government, academic and private sector research. Its focus on quantitative techniques, use of probability sampling and ability to garner accurate information about a large population from a small sample, make this method an attractive strategy of enquiry. Research that emerges from administration of a survey can describe ‘trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population’, including both cross-sectional and longitudinal data (Creswell, 2009, p12; Rindfleisch et al, 2008). One topic that has been increasingly explored in both survey and non-survey research is sustainability. A nuanced and relatively nascent version of this concept is the just sustainability paradigm (JSP) (Agyeman et al, 2003a, b). This is a new assertion of sustainability that prioritizes the importance of environmental sustainability alongside principles of justice and equity. This chapter explores what a just sustainability approach to survey research would look like. Our goal is to evaluate the feasibility of integrating the JSP into the survey’s methodological pathways (design, sampling and data collection) in a manner that does not compromise the longstanding legitimacy of this method. First we provide a brief history of survey research in order to contextualize our findings and assertions. Next we provide background information on the JSP. Finally, two case studies are presented which provide examples of where the JSP was (or was not) successfully integrated into survey research.